Israel, Palestinians locked in border row

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Jubilation: Palestinians swim at a previously forbidden beach in
the Gaza Strip.Photo: AP

WRANGLING over Gaza's status is likely to intensify this week
when Prime Minister Ariel Sharon seeks to persuade the United
Nations that Israel is no longer responsible for the Palestinian
territory after its troops withdrew on Monday.

Mr Sharon is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly's 60th
anniversary session in New York tomorrow at a time when world
leaders are praising him for ending 38 years of Israeli settlement
and military presence inside the densely populated Palestinian
enclave.

On Monday UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan praised the
determination and political courage shown in this regard by Prime
Minister Sharon. Mr Annan also congratulated Palestinian Authority
chairman Mahmoud Abbas for his role in ensuring that the
disengagement was carried out peacefully, in co-ordination with
Palestinian security forces.

But beyond local co-ordination on the ground, Mr Sharon has
described his evacuation of troops and 8000 settlers as a one-off
unilateral step and, in the absence of a peace process, fresh
confrontation is already developing over Gaza's borders.

The Israeli Government is insisting that it will maintain
control over Gaza's sea and air access and the restricted human and
economic traffic between Gaza and Egypt.

Israel closed Gaza's only outlet to the world at Rafah last week
and Palestinian officials say it remains to be seen whether Egypt,
which took over the border following an agreement with Israel, will
let them reopen the crossing in defiance of Israel, should they
seek to do so.

Israel says it wants to maintain control over goods and people
to prevent terrorists and weapons entering Gaza. The Palestinian
Authority says that Israeli control over Gaza's borders has stifled
its economic and social life and, until that changes, the
international community should continue to regard Israel as the
occupying power.

Yesterday tens of thousands of jubilant Palestinians continued
to flock to the ruined settlements and Mediterranean beaches
abandoned by Israel.

Four Palestinian children and teens reportedly drowned after
they went swimming for the first time at beaches formerly cut off
by the settlements.

The Palestinian Authority was to meet yesterday to decide what
to do with the remains of 25 former synagogues abandoned by
Israel.

On Monday Palestinian crowds tried to burn and demolish several
of the deconsecrated buildings to remove what many said were
symbols of foreign occupation and oppression.

Israeli leaders now say that the Palestinians should preserve
the former synagogues' concrete structures as holy places.